2/6/2013

Remember Jared Loughner? His favorite book was the Communist Manifesto. He hated George W. Bush so much he got angry at the mere sight of him. He was a fan of “a radical leftist punk band whose music focuses on themes of corporate greed, U.S. foreign policy and opposition to war,” and a friend described him as “left wing, quite liberal.”

So, naturally, the L.A. Timesdeclared that his ideology “was rooted in the far right.” And Sarah Palin was blamed, because of a map that had nothing to do with the shooting, whatsoever. (Remember that word “map.” It will come in handy later in the post.)

They cited “experts,” relying heavily on Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center. (Remember that organization: “Southern Poverty Law Center.” It will come in handy later in the post.)

[E]xperts said that several oft-repeated phrases and concepts — his fixation on grammar conspiracies, currency and the “second United States Constitution” — seem derived from concepts explored with regularity among elements of the far right.

“What you can see across the board in his writings is the idea that you can’t trust the government — that the government engages in mind control against its citizens,” said Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has long monitored the radical right.

Loughner’s assertion that he would not “pay debt with a currency that’s not backed by gold and silver” is a running theme among right-wing opponents of the Federal Reserve system.

Is Jared Lee Loughner, the alleged mass murderer who shot U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, a right-wing extremist?

It’s hard to say.

. . . .

That said, there are some clues.

At one point, Loughner refers disparagingly to “currency that’s not backed by gold or silver.” The idea that silver and gold are the only “constitutional” money is widespread in the antigovernment “Patriot” movement that produced so much violence in the 1990s.

. . . .

At this early stage, I think Loughner is probably best described as a mentally ill or unstable person who was influenced by the rhetoric and demonizing propaganda around him. Ideology may not explain why he allegedly killed, but it could help explain how he selected his target.

Remember those quotes in bold. They will come in handy later in the post.

So. A guy who was purely crazy

and whose ideology, if anything, was mixed, with heavy elements of left-wing ideology arguably predominating, was declared a right-wing extremist based on . . . nothing. Meanwhile, Sarah Palin was blamed, and received an explosion of death threats.

It’s hard not to think about this history today. Why would that be?

Because today we learned about a killer named Floyd Lee Corkins and why he picked his targets. Was it because he was a left-wing extremist? As Mark Potok would say, it’s “hard to say” but “there are some clues.”

One clue as to what motivated him — and I sure hope I’m not reading too much into this, as it’s subtle and hard to interpret — but one clue is that Corkins TOLD POLICE HE GOT IDEAS ABOUT WHO TO SHOOT FROM A HATE MAP PUBLISHED BY THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER.

The Family Research Council shooter, who pleaded guilty today to a terrorism charge, picked his target off a “hate map” on the website of the ultra-liberal Southern Poverty Law Center which is upset with the conservative group’s opposition to gay rights.

He told the FBI that he wanted to kill anti-gay targets and went to the law center’s website for ideas. At a court hearing where his comments to the FBI were revealed, he said that he intended to “kill as many as possible and smear the Chick-Fil-A sandwiches in victims’ faces, and kill the guard.”

This leads me to suspect — and it’s just a feeling that I have; one that I can’t quite shake — that he might have gotten ideas about who to kill from a “hate map” from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

You know, because that’s what he said he did.

You see, Watson, once you look at the clues in the right way, it seems almost obvious, doesn’t it?

I think it would be absurd, of course, to blame the SPLC for this shooting. Or even to blame left-wing ideology, when killers tend to be crazy. But, channeling Mr. Potok, I am sorely tempted to say that I think Corkins is probably best described as a mentally ill or unstable person who was influenced by the SPLC rhetoric and demonizing propaganda issued by the SPLC.

(Remember how I told you to keep those bolded quotes in mind?)

So that’s the SPLC. What about the L.A. Times? Surely they are all over this.

given how viciously our little country is being raped and abused by our fascist president and his fascist pals it’s a hugely miraculous and wondrous thing that we see such a miniscule amount of political violence

even the UK mustered up a boisterous riot, and they’re a buncha royalty-besotted pansies

I am going to bed now, and I’m not going to be listening to any law professors or SPLC podcasts along the way. Ugghhh! and Shudder

OT, the last day or 2 there has been all kinds of talk about the Boy Scouts maybe changing their policy re homosexuality…meanwhile, it only seemed a few moments ago that there was a flurry of news which then disappeared about the Boy Scouts covering up suspected pedophiles.

A detail sure to reignite the culture wars that erupted around the shooting is the fact that Corkins told FBI agents that he identified the Family Research Council as anti-gay on the Web site of the Southern Poverty Law Center. The day after the shooting, Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, suggested that the center’s labeling of the organization as a hate group had given Corkins a “license to perpetrate this act of violence.” On Wednesday, Perkins said the revelation had validated his earlier comments.

Everything the MFM and the Left projected onto the Right actually occurred in this politically and ideologically motivated attack. Every last fucking bit of it that they falsely accused the Right of doing, they did. Every last bit.

And the MFM is basically silent. Because they already did their job blaming this on the Right.

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The shooter has a long history of mental illness and won’t stay on his meds. Why try to come up with a “rational” explanation for an irrational murder spree? He wasn’t / isn’t playing with a full deck, and his actions will never make sense to a sane person.
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John Bibb
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Yea, happyfeet, because I notice that organization always likes using the word “gay” pejoratively. Only haters exploit that word in such an unkind, heartless, callous, non-generous, non-loving, non-beautiful manner.

BTW, I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald was a rabid extremist from the far right. Actually, come to think of it, no, he was of the far left. But John F Kennedy was targeted for being a conservative Republican. Uh, no, strike that.

I believe Kennedy was targeted for being gay — uh, meaning he was joyful, the life of the party, always a big smile on his face — and Oswald loathed that in his fellow humans. I also believe that Jack Ruby was an ultra-rightwinger (a registered Republican who also happened to be of Jewish background) who loved vigilante justice, guns held high. Uh, strike at least part of that.

It does seem that when one looks at the core of notorious people and notorious situations associated with them, rarely — so rarely — are they of the left.

I found this on another site but forgot to record the site for future reference. I was engaged in a Huff Po story about that crazy with the kid in the bunker. Huff Po cited unidentified neighbors to establish the crazy’s right wing nut status. However, the alleged testimony was not credible considering where the crazy lived and his reclusive nature. The Left & the media automatically assume right wing nuts after these shootings and go silent when the truth come out. Took at this :

It’s a shame that so many out there view violence as an opportunity to score political points by struggling to associate the violence with one’s ideological opponents.

The idea that the Loughner shooting was Sarah Palin’s fault is a great example, and I’m glad Patterico points out how this led to a lot of threats. These people were so concerned about violence they instigated threats.

SPLC would do well to apply its own standards to itself, but it can’t without some serious apologizing.

Remember Jared Loughner? His favorite book was the Communist Manifesto. He hated George W. Bush so much he got angry at the mere sight of him. He was a fan of “a radical leftist punk band whose music focuses on themes of corporate greed, U.S. foreign policy and opposition to war,” and a friend described him as “left wing, quite liberal.”

So, naturally, the L.A. Times declared that his ideology “was rooted in the far right.”

Because of course the “Rethuglicans” would, if given the chance, nationalize GM and force it to build cars nobody wants.

They’d establish a reichwirtshaftministerium NLRB that can tell Boeing where it can put its new factory.

I haven’t read that particular characterization of the murderer, but if it’s accurate, then it’s merely another moment when one needs to go “uh, hmmm.”

Meanwhile, a news report, which was linked at the Drudgereport recently, has its own peculiar political implications. Namely, that communities of truly dyed-in-the-wool liberal/Democrat orientation — full of people who fall for the idea that liberalism imbues one with wonderful, humane, tolerant qualities — better look in the mirror before snorting at political opposites (and the communities associated with them) for bigoted, hateful, deranged behavior.

latimes.com, January 25, 2013:

The trouble began soon after they arrived. The black family — a mother, three teenage children and a 10-year-old boy — moved into a little yellow home in Compton over Christmas vacation. When a friend came to visit, four men in a black SUV pulled up and called him a “ni—-,” saying black people were barred from the neighborhood, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies. They jumped out, drew a gun on him and beat him with metal pipes.

The 19-year-old family friend managed to break free that first day and run into the house, where the children were the only ones at home. The attackers left, but a half-hour later a crowd of as many as 20 people stood on the lawn yelling threats and epithets. A beer bottle crashed through the living room window as the youngsters watched in horror.

It was just the beginning of what detectives said was a campaign by a Latino street gang to force an African American family to leave. The attacks on the family are the latest in a series of violent incidents in which Latino gangs targeted blacks in parts of greater Los Angeles over the last decade.

Compton, with a population of about 97,000, was predominantly black for many years. It is now 65% Latino and 33% black, according to the 2010 U.S. census. But it’s not only historically black areas that have been targeted.

Similar attacks have taken place in Harbor Gateway, Highland Park, Pacoima, San Bernardino, Canoga Park and Wilmington, among other places…. Latino gang attacks on African Americans have occurred periodically since the 1990s in Compton.

^ This ain’t Selma or Birmingham, Alabama, or the Deep South, in the 1950s or 1960s. But folks in the media certainly don’t have to be reminded of that, since they deem that hate crimes are exclusive to certain neighborhoods, certain demographics.

Dorner claims to be armed with shoulder-fired missiles to use against LE aircraft, and a Barrett .50BMG-caliber rifle:
missile launchers are illegal throughout the country for civilian possession and use;
.50BMG weapons are illegal in CA for civilians (unless registered under the State’s AW law).

Steve57, comment 35, the US military no longer accepts such people, and I seriously doubt they ever accepted such directly into officer training. Although him going nuts might be related to why he is no longer in the military.

U.S. COAST GUARD ENLISTMENT OATH
“I, (State your name), swear to sign away 4 years of my life to the UNITED STATES COAST GUARD because I know being in the real military scares me. However, I swear to defend our position as the fifth branch of the Armed Services, although at one point we were under the Department of Homeland Security. I understand that atleast twice a day, someone will refer to me a member of the Air Force or Navy, and when I correct them, they will question my military status. I will work on boats the size of kayaks and small yachts during the worst of natures storms, and recieve no thanks or notice form the public. I will fly in helos into the eye of the storm to rescue people dumber then rocks, and then be heckled by the same people when I bust them for transporting drugs two months later.! I will prevent thousands of gallons of pollution, but be accused of impeding the economy when I won’t allow vessels to pour oil into the ocean. I will be the red-headed step child to all of the other services, although I know I got the better deal. All of my equipment will be discarded Navy property. I will use most of my time in the Coast Guard to take college classes, and perfect my web surfing abilities, then complain that I work too much. I will perfect avoiding PT at all costs, and do my best to attend training that will give me a great competitive edge in the career field of my choice, making retention efforts of the Coast Guard pointless. I will come in contact with so many pollutants during my tenure, I will glow in the dark for the rest of my natural life and refer to myself as “salty” because of it. I will do my best to work 8 to 3, with a two hour lunch, on normal days, and have my pager and cell phone surgically attached, SO HELP ME GOD.

____________________
Signature
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Date

US AIR FORCE OATH OF ENLISTMENT
“I, (State your name), swear to sign away 4 years of my life to the UNITED STATES AIR FORCE because I know I couldn’t hack it in the Army, because the Marines frighten me, and because I am afraid of water over waist-deep. I swear to sit behind a desk. I also swear not to do any form of real exercise, but promise to defend our bike-riding test as a valid form of exercise. I promise to walk around calling everyone by their first name because I find it amusing to annoy the other services. I will have a better quality of life than those around me and will, at all times, be sure to make them aware of that fact. After completion of “Basic Training”, I will be a lean, mean, donut-eating, Lazy-Boy sitting, civilian-wearing-blue-clothes, Chair-borne Ranger. I will believe I am superior to all others and will make an effort to clean the knife before stabbing the next person in the back. I will annoy those around me, and will go home early every day. So Help Me God!”

____________________
Signature
____________________
Date

US ARMY OATH OF ENLISTMENT
“I, (State your name), swear to sign away 4 years of my otherwise mediocre life to the UNITED STATES ARMY because I couldn’t score high enough on the ASVAB to get into the Air Force, I’m not tough enough for the Marines, and the Navy won’t take me because I can’t swim. I will wear camouflage every day and tuck my trousers into my boots because I can’t figure out how to use blousing straps. I promise to wear my uniform 24 hours a day even when I have a date. I will continue to tell myself that I am a fierce killing machine because my Drill Sergeant told me I am, despite the fact that the only action I will see is a court-martial for sexual harassment. I acknowledge the fact that I will make E-8 in my first year of service, and vow to maintain that it is because I scored perfect on my PT test. After completion of my Sexual…..er…..I mean “Basic Training,” I will attend a different Army school every other month and return knowing less than I did when I left. On my first trip home after Boot Camp, I will walk around like I am cool and propose to my 9th grade sweetheart. I will make my wife stay home because if I let her out she might leave me for a better-looking Air Force guy. Should she leave me twelve times, I will continue to take her back. While at work I will maintain a look of knowledge while getting absolutely nothing accomplished. I will arrive to work every day at 1000 hrs because of morning PT and leave everyday at 1300 to report back to “COMPANY.” I understand that I will undergo no training whatsoever that will help me get a job up! on separation, and will end up working construction with my friends from high school. I will brag to everyone about the Army giving me $30,000 for college, but will be unable to use it because I can’t pass a placement exam. So Help Me God!”

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Signature
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Date

US NAVY OATH OF ENLISTMENT
“I, Top Gun, in lieu of going to prison, swear to sign away 4 years of my life to the UNITED STATES NAVY, because I want to hang out with Marines without actually having to BE one of them, because I thought the Air Force was too “corporate,” because I didn’t want to actually live in dirt like the Army, and because I thought, “Hey, I like to swim…why not?” I promise to wear clothes that went out of style in 1976 and to have my name stenciled on the butt of every pair of pants I own. I understand that I will be mistaken for the Good Humor Man during summer,! and for Nazi Waffen SS during the winter. I will strive to use a different language than the rest of the English-speaking world, using words like “deck, bulkhead, cover, geedunk, scuttlebutt, scuttle and head,” when I really mean “floor, wall, hat, candy, water fountain, hole in wall and toilet.” I will take great pride in the fact that all Navy acronyms, rank, and insignia, and everything else for that matter, are completely different from the other services and make absolutely no sense whatsoever. I will muster, whatever that is, at 0700 every morning unless I am buddy-buddy with the Chief, in which case I will show up around 0930. I vow to hone my coffee cup-handling skills to the point that I can stand up in a kayak being tossed around in a typhoon, and still not spill a drop. I consent to being promoted and subsequently busted at least twice per fiscal year. I realize that, once selected for Chief, I am required to submit myself to the sick, and quite possibly illegal, whims of my newfound “colleagues.” So Help Me Neptune!”

Steve, I’m not trying to pick a fight and I want to believe it wasn’t your intention, but your flippant attempt at humor is inappropriate, it maligns a great many men and women who’ve served our nation honorably, and it’s out of place here.

And, yeah, I’m one of those guys who landed in San Francisco in 1968 and wasn’t welcomed home, and I’m still pissed. I had to change out of my uniform in the men’s room just to get out of the airport without being caught up in an ugly physical incident.

The protesters didn’t really care what branch of the service I was in. I was wearing an American uniform and that was good enough to make me a target of their collective wrath.

They were opposed to the war and so was I. The difference between us was that I had a better idea of what I was against. But, there was no time for talk, the protesters were in a hot lather, buoyed by numbers and protected by cops, determined to demonstrate their opposition to the war (to each other and to the TV cameras) by insulting and humiliating returning servicemen and women headed home, many of them drafted into the Army and others who enlisted in other branches to avoid the draft.

Even today I often find myself looking at Democrats in the California Congressional delegation in the oft chance I might recognize one of my old tormentors. They know who they are but they keep mum these days. They aren’t as proud of themselves today as they were back then.

But, really, that’s all long ago and far behind us now. But I do think that the almost universal lip service paid to our men and women in uniform these days is a reaction to the sins of those unhappy Vietnam inspired days. However, I’m always glad to see our serviceman and women appreciated, even if I’m a little suspicious of the motivation.

So, just sayin’ Steve, I read your comments and I often agree with your points, but you might want to consider an explanation or an apology before opprobrium attaches.

ropelight, if that was inappropriate then I don’t know of any military site that’s appropriate. Where do you think I went to retrieve that old joke? And it is old, although it’s been updated.

I think you may be taking my sense of humor the wrong way. I spent 20 years in the Navy. We poke fun at ourselves (you should hear the jokes I’ve got about submariners)as well as the other services all the time. And they give it right back. That enlistment oath parody has no doubt been floating around longer than I was. Actually, the first time I saw it was in an email a friend in the Marines sent to me back in the early 90s.

It’s not meant as an insult, and I don’t know anybody in the service who takes it as an insult. The Marine who sent me the email thought the Marine enlistment oath was hilarious. These kind of jokes are in their own way a token of respect.

Like all humor there is a grain of truth in it. The Navy, for instance, does somewhat deserve its reputation for being a gang of criminals. It’s hard not to notice when an entire battle group gets kicked out of a country.

I’m actually surprised we don’t get kicked out of more ports. My carrier nearly got kicked out of Diego Garcia. We definitely got kicked out of the O club. At that time the uniform of the day on Dodge included Pith helmets. So everyone went to the uniform shop to buy Pith helmets.

Then we went to the club. If you walk into an Navy officer’s club covered (wearing a hat) you have to buy the entire bar a round of drinks. People somehow forgot the rule and kept walking in showing off their new Pith helmets. One guy had five of them stacked on his head; he had to buy five rounds.

Discretion being the better part of valor I decided to leave when the A-7 drivers piled onto the hotdog cart and crashed it through the porch railing and onto the beach. The British Indian Ocean Territory police already had a dim view of Sailors, probably because of stuff like this. I didn’t want to stick around until they showed up. The next morning all the squadron COs were invited to inspect the damage and figure out what each one owed.

Some things never change. Back in the 70s they were giving out good conduct medals based upon who had spent the least amount of time in the brig.

In any case I can’t get offended when other people joke about certain aspects of Navy culture. At least, as long as they served. It would be more insulting if they thought we were delicate hothouse flowers who couldn’t take a joke.

I hope I didn’t say anything that gives further offense. But you asked for either an explanation or apology. I’m not going to apologize because that would imply I meant that comment as an insult. It was nothing of the sort.

If you want to see an actual insult to those serving in the military, here it is: